February 21, 2025
By:
Walter G. Wright
Category:
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
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The United Stated Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and South Carolina Pole and Piling, Inc (“SCPPI”) entered into a February 11th Expedited Settlement Agreement and Final Order (“Agreement”) addressing alleged violations of Clean Water Act. See Docket no. CWA-04-2024-1001(b).
The Agreement Provides that SCPPI operates a timber products facility in Leesville, South Carolina.
The facility is stated to be primarily engaged in cutting timber and producing rough, round, hewn, or rivien primary forest or wood raw materials. It is identified by Standard Industrial Classification Code 2411.
Representatives of EPA are stated to have performed a compliance stormwater evaluation inspection at the facility on August 10, 2023. An inspection report is stated to have indicated that inspectors observed the following:
- The facility had outdoor industrial processes including but limited to: loading, and unloading operations, material storage, and waster material storage activities with potential exposure and contribution to stormwater contamination.
- Stormwater runoff, which discharges off-site into an unnamed tributary of Litt Creek.
- The industrial activity at the facility which included timber processing is classified under SSE code 2144 and therefore required to obtain a General National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”) permit coverage for stormwater discharged.
- The facility did not have an NPDES permit at the time of the compliance stormwater evaluation inspection. It did not submit a notice of intent for permit coverage until January 23, 2024.
SCPPI neither admits nor denies the allegations in the Agreement.
A civil penalty of $20,000 is assessed.
A copy of the Agreement can be downloaded here.
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